Trike Went Down Sunday Morning In Eustis, FL

The pilot of an ultralight trike aircraft was fatally injured Sunday when the airplane went down near the runway of Mid Florida Air Service Airport (X55) in Eustis, FL.

Authorities have identified the pilot as 47-year-old John Farmer, according to a report from The Orlando Sentinel. A witness said that he observed the airplane doing "bunny hops" down the runway, according to Lake Sheriff's Sgt. Fred Jones.

Jones said that the pilot was advised by Russell Smith, the person who saw the accident, to "fly south before making a final approach." The aircraft went down behind some trees near the runway.

Another witness who helped pull the airplane off Farmer said that the plane came down "sideways" and "hit the ground really hard."

Deputies arrived at the scene at around 0810 local time, and Farmer was pronounced dead just four minutes later.